Just when you thought it was safe to go outside, here comes belligerent bike boy.
Illustration Ryn Gargulinski
Belligerent bike boy is this college-student-looking dude who cruises around the neighborhood “at a high rate of speed” with his dog leashed to his bicycle. He’s always out at prime dog walking time when I’m out with Sawyer and Phoebe and other dogs and owners are strolling around our midtown neighborhood.
Even though biking with a dog seems incredibly hazardous – especially since belligerent boy is way too cool to wear a helmet and his bicycle and dog combo drives Sawyer wild – we usually don’t really care about bike boy.
Illustration Ryn Gargulinski
We cared, however, when bike boy came barreling right at us.
Sawyer, Phoebe and I were on the sidewalk when bike boy came bolting out of a pathway, saw us on the sidewalk, then turned directly into us.
We were too stupefied by the stupidity to do much more than just stand there.
Of course, bike boy’s dog and Sawyer went at it.
Illustration Ryn Gargulinski
Of course, this made bike boy fall off his bike.
Illustration Ryn Gargulinski
We wonder what bike boy was thinking, or if he were thinking at all.
Illustration Ryn Gargulinski
Once he got up, bike boy began to yell at us. He said we were in his way on the sidewalk every day. We were in the wrong, said he, because he was biking in the same direction as traffic, even though he was on the sidewalk. We were supposed to cross the street and use the sidewalk on the other side to “go with the traffic flow,” he said. Besides, he added, it’s easier for us to go into the street and out of his way, letting him have full reign of the sidewalk, since he’s on a bicycle.
Illustration Ryn Gargulinski
We bring up bike boy because he illustrates so much of what is wrong with society:
1. Some people don’t give a dang about the laws.
2. Some people don’t give a dang about their neighbors (bike boy lives down the street from us and we’re also convinced he’s the one who left a bag of dog poo in our yard the last time we had a bike boy run-in).
3. Some people are pocked by false sense of entitlement.
4. Some people pick on women (bike boy NEVER pulls this stuff when I’m out walking the dogs with my beau).
5. Some people stink.
Have a nice day.
[tnipoll]
What do you think?
What would you do about belligerent bike boy?
Have you had similar encounters with folks who just don’t care?
Should we give bike boy the right of way even though the law is clearly on our side?
Ryn, there’s a typo in the featured title: I think it should be “plagued”. Bikes should remain on the street and not on sidewalks, but the sorry state of our streets full of potholes sometimes causes bicyclists to use sidewalks.
hi carolyn,
thanks for typo alert.
i can see where bicyclists may want to avoid pot holes or other street debris, but this particular section of street is free and clear of either, so this wouldn’t be the case with this guy.
i’m still betting on the entitlement issue or the “let’s see what i can get away with” mindset.
i also wonder if he would pull the same stunt – or perhaps already has – with any strollers, kids and moms strolling on sidewalks around the nabe.
I love it; especially the police-style schematic of the “incident”. I also think you captured the essence of Bike Boy in your drawings.
I am pleased that BB fell, but sorry to know that he gained no knowledge from the experience. Well, we have no control over the BB’s of the world and their behavior will be its own punishment in the end.
hahhaha! thanks, leftfield.
i always KNEW i should be a police sketch artist. i’m sure my renditions of the crime scenes would clear up many mysteries and my ‘wanted’ posters result in many arrests – hahahah.
yes, it is sad that BB seemed oblivious to any lessons…and thanks again for the reminder of “things we cannot control,” as you noted in a comment last week with the “dear dog” serenity prayer. hahah.
think we’ll be praying a lot on our dog romps when we spy BB out of the corner of our eye, waiting for good ole karma to kick in….
He’s should definately be on the street, cut I can say with certainty car drivers don’t share this opinion. How many bottles can be thrown at you, car run up behind you and blare their horn, or have car try to run you down and swerve at the last minute yelling “f*** you” can you take before you decide to take to the sidewalks. Not saying he’s right, but try biking in Tucson,seriously. And Carolyn is absolutely right, as the 5 year old tear in rotator cuff can attest.
Ryn, Have you ever ridden a bike in Tucson? Seriously? Have you ever had a car purposefully try to run you down because you were in their way? Even as a “joke” ? I in no way condone bike boys behaviour, but I know EXACTLY why he wants the sidewalks. And I also know who in Tucson has the true sense of entitlement.
I would make sure to be on the sidewalk everyday and make him move or risk falling again. I would not back down when sidewalks are for walking not riding. Be a bigger nuisance than he is. He will move on because he does not like being challenged.
hilarious! thanks for the laugh 🙂 stay strong
I didnt see a button for stand firm with broom handle at the ready to insert into BB’s spokes? We have one of those guys in our neighbor. Its just a mater of time before he does major damage to himself and the dog. I’ll feel bad for the dog, and smirk as my BB wipes the gravel and asphalt out of the gaping holes in his knee caps and palms.
I’m with leftfield, love the schematics. Also glad to know there is somebody out there that draws as well as I do.
hahhaha! LOVE the broom handle spoke idea, knuckledragger. i like it so much i’d add a button in the poll for it – but every time i try to update a poll it erases the tally. so OTHER is a good choice for that one – hahaha.
sorry to hear you have your own BB and yes, it IS just a matter of time before something very hazardous happens. i, too, will feel bad for the dog – and hear ya about the smirk! gaping knee cap holes is a nice image.
how cool you have equally adept art skills! maybe we should go into business together as police sketch and crime scene artists? hahahahah. i’ll take the BB and traffic scenes and you can have the robbery scenes (too much mishmash and detail in those)
Wow. As an avid cyclists, I’m sorry. BB has it all wrong, and I fear that the only person going to be hurt by his actions is his dog.
ARS 28-904
A. A person shall not drive a vehicle on a sidewalk area except on a permanent or duly authorized temporary driveway.
§28-812. Applicability of traffic laws to bicycle riders
thanks, tuksonrider – no apology necessary, but do appreciate it! MANY cyclists i see fully follow the law and never give anyone grief.
a bad BB apple shouldn’t rot the whole bunch.
also thanks for the traffic laws/bike rider info. i know BB lives down the street, but not sure which house. i think i’ll find out and put a copy of the law near his door (or tape it on his bike if he’s dumb enough to leave bike in driveway or something).
i’m also liking the idea of calling police, too…again, i’ll have to get address or watch where he goes after he’s done trying to knock people down.
i’m also afraid for the dog. poor thing doesn’t deserve to be put in danger daily. no dog deserves daily danger, even if he doesn’t get along with sawyer.
You might consider pringing a video camera with you on you walks, and making a point of videoing BB.
I’ve found that when people know that their behavior is being recorded they undergo rapid attitude adjustment.
oooh, i LIKE that idea – provided he doesn’t bowl me down and break the camera!
think i’ll just have to try that one out. thanks.
Tip has a great idea, get the rascal on video!
The nerve of some of us! I can’t believe this fool would not apologize and actually argued about right of way. I bet he drives a car the same way, probably also on the sidewalk.
PS- they are called sideWALKS for a reason.
hiya radmax,
i was NOT expecting an apology at all – he clearly saw us before he made his turn and had that intentional run you down look – the same look some folks give pedestrians in crosswalks…
yes, i do like the video idea – and thanks for reminding us sideWALKS! not sideBARREL-a-bicycle-with-dog-attached – hahaha.
How old do you think this guy is?
I always try to go the friendly route myself, although this might be beyond that.
I would find out where he lives, knock on the door, introduce yourself (he’ll recognize you, I assume) and ask if you can talk to him about what happened, or invite him over for coffee or a beer because you wanted to become friends with your neighbors and you guys got off on the wrong foot…something along those lines.
Most reasonable people become cool when there’s a connection by name and at least an attempt of friendliness.
guessing he’s 20-something – def. looks student-ey to me. he wasn’t around for the longest and then is around – i’m betting he’s one who is renting house with bunch of his buddies who don’t give a dang about any long term neighborliness.
your idea is a good one, but def. NOT an easy one! i will think about it. maybe he’ll just go away once school breaks for the summer. if he’s still around – which i hope he won’t be – i’ll think about it some more.
in the meantime, i’ll def get him on video….hahahha
Gotcha…thought if he was a mutual homeowner and there all year round it would definitely be worth trying to work through it. Most people, when confronted and they see someone is sincerely trying to handle a problem end up being pretty cool.
Of course there are always those few who keep on being a meanie. Having dealt with the public most of my life, the madder or ruder someone gets with me, the nicer I keep getting with them. It makes them look really bad and feel kind of stupid for being mean to someone who is being so nice.
The camera is a good idea.
Sidewalk riding and wrong-way riding are two of the biggest problems in the cycling community. They are also problems most cyclists would love to see police officers enforce.
As your post clearly illustrates, it is disrespectful and dangerous for pedestrians, but it is also more dangerous for cyclists.
Drivers who are entering and exiting intersections or driveways are not looking for something that is moving as fast as a bike and that often leads to crashes.
Wrong way riding is even worse. It increases the closing speed between cars and bikes and drivers aren’t checking to their right when they are going to be turning right into traffic, they just have to make sure it is clear on their left.
The sad part is that most of the people who ride this way, generally think they are safer, but they aren’t.
This guy just seems rude, though.
I would have BikeBoy euthanized. Or at least castrated so he cannot reproduce.